Rags Ragland

Rags Ragland's remarkable career trajectory began as a boxer, eventually transitioning to burlesque comedy and then making his mark on the Broadway stage. He later ventured to Hollywood, reprising his role as the boisterous sailor in the 1942 film adaptation of "Panama Hattie", a production that starred Ann Sothern, who had previously portrayed the character on Broadway in the iconic Ethel Merman role. Ragland's affable persona, coupled with his remarkable talent for mangling the English language, led to his typecasting as a lovable oaf. During his extensive film career, he exclusively worked with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, appearing in over two dozen light-hearted movies alongside esteemed MGM stars, including the inimitable Red Skelton, the incomparable Lucille Ball, the beloved Judy Garland, and the legendary Gene Kelly.